TOYOTA HYBRID SALES SURGE

Toyota has seen an unprecedented 30 per cent surge in sales of its petrol-electric hybrid models in the UK in the first half of 2017, the Company announced today.

Toyota (GB) PLC sold 22,616 hybrids between January and June 2017, a rise of 30.6 per cent in sales on the same period last year. Fleet buyers embraced the economic benefits of the technology even more, with a huge 43.2 per cent increase in sales year-on-year. More than four in every ten Toyota buyers (40.2 per cent) in the UK now chooses a hybrid from the Company’s range, which is the widest of any manufacturer.

Mark Roden, Toyota’s (GB) Sales Director, said: “Hybrid is no longer a secret, or a mystery. We’re seeing growth in sales at huge levels and that’s because customers recognise the benefits of hybrid in fuel efficiency, in environmental impact and in the smooth, quiet drive hybrid gives.” He added: “Toyota has led the way for two decades in making hybrid technology available to everyone. We have proven technology, famous reliability and the most exciting range of hybrid cars we’ve ever offered. I’m delighted that more people than ever are enjoying the benefits of them.”

News of UK customers’ desire for hybrid comes as equally impressive figures were announced for the whole of Europe, where hybrid sales of Toyota and Lexus grew at a record 44 per cent year-on-year – with one in every two cars sold in the western European region a hybrid.

In both the UK and Europe Toyota’s award-winning new C-HR crossover was a major driver of hybrid sales, with around 80 per cent of European buyers choosing the petrol-electric variant. The new RAV4 hybrid also saw strong sales increases in the UK and across Europe.

In the premium sector Lexus remains years ahead of its opposition where electrified low emissions are concerned. In the UK 99 per cent of Lexus vehicles sold have full hybrid drive-trains. More widely, total sales for Toyota (GB), to include Toyota, Lexus and Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) Jan-June 2017 were 68,378, up 5 per cent on the previous year. The launch of the award-winning new line of Proace vans and the continued strength of the new Hilux pick-up contributing to a hugely significant 60.8 per cent rise in sales of LCVs.

Toyota Motor Europe (TME) announced that across the region, including the UK, 527,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles had been sold in the first half of the year, an increase of 11 per cent on 2016. For more information of the Toyota European release click here.